Method of and machine for preparing heel breast flaps



y 7, 1929- L. J. BAZZONI 1,711,984

METHOD 0F AND MACHINE FOR PQEPARING HEEL BREAST FLAPS Filed Feb. 6, 1928 la C;

//v1//v Ta l Patented May 7, 1929.

, UNITED' ST -res LEWIS J. BAZZONI, or SWAMPSCOTT, mnssaonusnr'rs, Assrsivon TO unrrrsn snon AonmEnY conrounrro v, or rnrrnnsou, NEW niasnr, a conroimrron on NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PREPARING BREAST FLATS.

Application filed February 6, 1928, Serial No. 252,352, imam Great Britain July 19, 192 7.

This invention relates to a novel method .and machine for preparing breast covering flaps for application to shoe heels.

In preparing shoe soles for the reception of some types of heels, of which the Louis heel is a conspicuous example, it is a common prace.

tice to split. the heel end of a sole forward to about the line Where the breast of the heel is to be positioned upon the sole, producing a skiving at the grain side of the sole which skiving is left attached to the sole in the form of a flap. This flap is turned outand the heel is applied to the body portion of the sole from which the flap wassplit. After the heel is attached, the flap is fitted as smoothly as possible to the breastface of the heel, and secured thereto, usually hesive paste or cement.

Such a breast covering flap, having been split from a fiat piece of sole leather, natural- 1y tends to lie flat but, since it is thin and fairly flexible, it may easily be bent or curved in one direction. It. is, however, quite strong I and substantially elastic,'consisting of'the grain portion of sole leather, and not only resistsattempts to conform it to a. surface which is curved in two directions, as are the breast surfaces of 'manyheels, but has a marked tendency to spring away from portions of such a surface, evenafter; the flap has whereby the difficulties and disadvantages hitherto encountered may be eliminated.

With the foregoing in view, the invention, in one aspect, comprises a method according to which certain predetermined portlons of a breast flap are stretched relatively to the remainderthereof beyond the limit of elastic recovery of the material of whichthe flap is made. This operation is preferably carried out before the heel is applied to the shoe by an ad:

after the sole is attached to a shoe stretching portions of the flap to the extent stated their fibrous, structure is more or less ATENT} 0mm;

broken down and the tendency of the. flap to returnto a flat condition is reduced or destroyedr Consequently, the portions to be stretchedhaving been properlyv selected, a

flap so treated may very easilybc brought into contact with the heel breast at all points and, the contacting surfaces having been previously coated with an adhesive, perfectedhesion of the flap to the heelmay be secured merely by a wiping, rubbing or pounding action. The tendency of the flap to draw away from portionsof the heel breast having been eliminated, there is no necessity for the use of a clamping press, rubber bands, or the like which have been commonly used to hold the flappressedtightly against theheel breast for a considerable time after the flap was applied. I a The stretching of theflap; is preferably cf: fected progressively outward from the central portion of the flap; toward its lateral edges and,.to this end, the method, as herein exemplified, comprises first clamping the central portion of the flap and then applying stretching force which increases progressively fromthe central region of the flap outward,the greatest stretching force being applied at thelateral edges. Inasmuch as it is at these edges that thetendencyofthe flap to pull away from theheel breast is most conspicuously manifest, the application of the greatest stretching force to them, resulting in the production of a flap the sides of which are permanently longer than thecenter, produces a flap whichreadily conforms-to the heel'breast, I I a Inanother aspect. the invention com prises a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps having, in combination, means forclamping the central portion of the flap and means for applying to the flap stretching force which. increases progresisvely from the central region of the flap outward to the lateraledges;

stretching pad backed up by a recessed, rigid support. The anvil is, so formed witlrhigh sole, and may be performed either before or and lowportions that it will first engage the central portion of the breast flap and the stretching pad is normally substantially fiat. Consequently, as the pad and the anvil upon which the flap is positioned approach each other they act first to clamp the central por tion of the flap and thereafter, as the pad is deformed to the contour of the anvil, to stretch the flap progressively from its central region outward.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will best be understood and appreciated by reading the following detailed description of one embodiment of the machine and one manner of using the same 111 the'practice of the method, in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich,

Fig.1 is a front view of the machine with the work in position to be operated upon;

Fig. 2 is a side view oft-he upper part of and 4, for the reception of an anvil which is rigidly secured in place by a bolt 22.

The anvil 20 is formed with high and low portions, as is clearly shown in Flgs. 1 and 3', providing a rigid moldlngsurface, curved both in longitudinal and transverse directions, upon which a heel'breastfiap maybe stretched. In Fig. 3,.which shows a transverse section ofthe anvil, it will beseenthat the flap supporting surface-of the anvil is higher at the center 24"than it is at th'e'sides 26, the purpose of this formationbeing to facilitate the application to the flap" of a stretching force which increases progres sively from the central region of the flap outward to its lateral edges.

Arranged to co-op erate with 'theanvil 20 is a yielding stretching pad 28 which may be made of rubber or other yielding, resilient material. The ends of the pad 28 are secured,

by meansof' plates'30, to a rigid support 32 which is recessed, as shown at- 341, to permit the central portion of the pad to yield upward; The pad support 32 issecuredtoa vertical stem 36 whichis threaded to receive a nut 38 by means of which the pad support may be adjusted vertically withrespect to a carrier 40 in which the stem 36 is mounted. The carrier 40is secured to a slide 42 which is vertically reciprocable in guides l4 formed in the frame 10.

The lower end ofthe slide 42 is connected by arod 4:6 to a spring elevated trea'dlefnot shown) by which the slide, and the pad 28, may be moved up or down at the will of the operator.

The under side of the pad 28 is substantially fiat, with the exception of av small notch 48 which minimizes the danger of displacement of the work when it is engaged by the pad.

In the performance of the method of the present invention the heel end of a shoe sole BOissplit to provide a flap 52 which is turned out and which is eventually to be applied to the breast face of a shoe heel. Either before or after the sole 50 is attached to a shoe, the outwardly turned flap 50 is placed upon the anvile 20, as shown in Fig. 1, and the stretching pad 28 is lowered. In the descent of the pad 28 the central portion of the flap is first clamped between the pad and the high central portion 24 of the anvil; then, as the descent of the pad support 32 continues, the cen tral portion of the pad yields into the recess 34; permitting the pad to conform to the shape of the rigid anvil and applying to the flap a stretching force which increases progressively from the central region of the flap outward to its lateral edges, as the said edges are forced down into the low areas 26 at'the sides-of the upper face of the anvil. After the stretching and molding operation upon the flap is completed the pad 28 is allowed to rise and the work is removed from the machine.

Theop'erative surface of the anvil 20 is so'formed that the lateral "edge portions of the flap 52 are stretched-beyond the limit of elastic recovery of the material of the flap and consequently, after the operation described'above, the edge portions of the flap are permanently longer than the-"central region thereof; as shown at 54 in Fig. 5'. The

flap thus prepared may now very easily be brought into contact at all'points with the rubbing, orpounding action, there being no necessity for theuseof a clamping press, rubber bands, or the like, to hold the flap pressed tightly against the heel breast for a considerable time after the flap is applied.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be securedby Letters Patent is:

1; The method of preparing a breast flap for applicationto a heel which comprises stretching certain predeterminedportions of said flap relatively to the remainder thereofi beyond the limitof elastic recovery of the material ofwhich the flap is made;

2. The methodof'preparing abreast flap for application to a heel* which comprises stretchingthe lateraledge portions of said flap relatively to its central portion beyond the limit of elastic recovery of the material of which the flap is made.

3. The method of treating a heel breast flap which comprises splitting the heel end of a sole to provide a breast flap, stretching the lateral edge portions of the flap relatively to its central portion beyond its limit of elastic recovery, attaching a heel to the sole, and applying the stretched flap to the breast of the heel.

4. The method of preparing a breast flap for application to a heel which comprises clamping the central portion of the flap and then applying force to stretchthe margins of the flap relatively to its central portion.

5. The method of preparing a breast flap for application to a heel which comprises clamping the central portion of the flap and then stretching the flap progressively from the central region of the flap outward to its lateral edges.

6. The method of preparing a breast flap for application to a heel which comprises clamping the central portion of the flap and then stretching successive portions of the flap disposed outward from the central portion by amounts which increase progressively.

7. In a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps, the combination of means for clamping the central portion of the flap and means for applying to the flap stretching force which increases progressively from the central region of the flap outward to its lateral edges.

8. In a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps, the combination of an anvil adapted to receive and support a breast flap, and a yielding stretchmgpad co-operating .with said anvil to apply stretching forceto certain predetermined portions of the flap sufiicient to stretch said portions beyond the limit of their elastic recovery. I i

9; In a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps, the combination oi a flap supporting anvil having high and low portions, a yielding stretching pad, and means for effecting relative approaching movement of the pad and anvil. I

10. In a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps, the combination of a rigid anvil having a flap supporting surface which is higher at the center than at the sides, a yielding stretching pad, and. means for effecting relative approaching movement of the pad and anvll. i

11. In a machine for operating upon heel breast flaps, the combination of a rigid anvil having a flap supporting surface which is higher the center than at the sides, a yielding stretching pad, a recessed, rigid support backing up the pad, and means for effecting relative approaching movement of the pad 

